London, June 30 (ANI): Those people who keep fidgeting could live longer as sitting still for long periods is bad for your health, a new study has revealed.

Spending too much time on sedentary activities like watching television or working at a computer can shorten lifespan and raise the risk of heart disease and strokes.

But breaking up sitting time throughout the day with simple activities like walking or stretching your legs - even if it is for a minute or two - could help counteract the effects.

While doctors recommend that people should get more than 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a week to keep healthy, they insist that less strenuous activities could also prove beneficial.

These activities might include things that do not even feel like exercise such as standing up and rocking on your heels, wiggling your hips to music or taking a walk round the house during a TV ad break.

People are watching television for up to four hours a day and spending 60 to 70 per cent of their time being sedentary and that is because of our lifestyle and occupations, the Daily Mail quoted Dr Wilby Williamson, an NHS expert in sport and exercise medicine as saying.

Reducing sitting time makes us better at breaking sugars and fats down, which can help reduce our risk of metabolic diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, he added.

In an article for the British Journal of Sports Medicine, he recommended that people should try and break up their sitting time every 20 to 30 minutes. (ANI)